Every Sunday morning we share refreshments after our service. It's one of my favourite parts of the day. Not because of the cup of tea, although that is always welcome, but because of the conversations.
After we have been worshipping and praying together, God's presence is tangible in the building - do you feel the Holy Spirit? Wow! Let's take time to bask in His Presence. It's good to chat with friends after the service, but it's also really important to try to speak to someone new each week. Our church is growing rapidly; this is a hugely exciting blessing from God and a massive encouragement to us all to keep going in the faith. Those precious and important minutes after the service can be used really effectively to get to know each other better and build connections and understandings between God's people.
We do understand that some people have work or other commitments after church, but if you are able to hang around for a while, you are fulfilling a really important function of the church: encouraging, exploring, discovering and fuelling ways in which we can all work together more effectively for the advancement of God's kingdom. Pray with each other if that seems appropriate. Learn more about other people's skills and expertise. And be prepared to discover ways in which you could commit to playing a greater role in the life of the church.
Conversations go both ways, it is about listening as well as speaking. Some say you should keep your words soft and sweet because you never know when you're going to have to eat them…. Little wonder that there is much wisdom and guidance in the Bible about conversation, our words and the tone we use.
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. James 1:26
May we be a fellowship of encouragers, building each other up, not giving way to gossip or leaving some on the sidelines. May we be listeners and listened to. And may God be at the heart of all we think, say, do and hear.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 18:14
Nigel